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542 reviews for:
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
3.81 AVERAGE
542 reviews for:
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
3.81 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
It has value forsure. I don’t plan to go back and read it anytime soon though, it is just not engaging in my opinion. I think the biggest lesson to take away from the book is if you want to be a better reader, think about what message the author is trying to convey. It probably sounds like common sense but it goes much deeper taking into account what words they use and how they use them and stuff like that.
informative
medium-paced
This book has been referenced multiple times in articles and by Youtubers as a guide to amplify the value you gain from reading a book. So I delved in eagerly. I read both literature and STEM books so was happy to gain improvements in either sphere.
I fast read the majority of the book in one evening (the irony is not lost on me). The pens, highlighter and notebook that I studioulsy had at the ready to make copious notes were left untouched. The book felt dry and outdated both in presentation and content. Originally published in 1940, it has apparently been updated. There's nothing about current research on different styles of note taking, organising information in an Exterior Brain or memory recall. For what is the point of reading a book if you can't analyse and output it usefully? Sadly, it failed to engage or teach me.
I've now moved on to a more interesting teacher - for my literary pursuits at least, the book...'Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them' by Francine Prose. Not that I want to be a writer. But understanding the craft of the writer helps to gain more value as a reader - and ultimately that's what I was after.
I fast read the majority of the book in one evening (the irony is not lost on me). The pens, highlighter and notebook that I studioulsy had at the ready to make copious notes were left untouched. The book felt dry and outdated both in presentation and content. Originally published in 1940, it has apparently been updated. There's nothing about current research on different styles of note taking, organising information in an Exterior Brain or memory recall. For what is the point of reading a book if you can't analyse and output it usefully? Sadly, it failed to engage or teach me.
I've now moved on to a more interesting teacher - for my literary pursuits at least, the book...'Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them' by Francine Prose. Not that I want to be a writer. But understanding the craft of the writer helps to gain more value as a reader - and ultimately that's what I was after.
informative
slow-paced
Well, quite the best practical guide on how to read.
informative
medium-paced
Definitely can tell it's old. Some of it's ideas are antiquated and not really relevant in today's book scene. Lots that I could see easy adaptations to today's climate and there was still good advice for those that want to get more out of books or just think more critically. I don't know if I agree with everything they said but I enjoyed seeing the ways they explained things I already do when reading while helping expand upon it.
I wish this book had been taught in junior high. I really could have used these skills through my high school career. Not as useful for fiction or poetry, but if you want to really learn how to absorb a text's information and keep hold of it, this is an amazing tool.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced